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High-pitch tone not deterring excessive loitering at local 7-Eleven

It's a noise drivers can't miss when they drive past the 7-Eleven on Division Street and Second Avenue in downtown Spokane.

SPOKANE, Wash. — It's a noise drivers can't miss when they drive past the 7-Eleven on Division Street and Second Avenue in downtown Spokane.

The owner of the 7-Eleven, Kahar Momand, said he spent about $20,000 installing speakers, security cameras, and clearing for landscaping to deter loitering in front of the store.

Momand said the changes were part of an agreement with Spokane Police after the property was cited in November for being a nuisance property.

The owner said the number of people loitering seemed to improve after the changes, but not enough.

Just last week, Momand received the same citation from Spokane Police saying the property was still a nuisance and that he violated the agreement that he would make changes to prevent it.

Momand said he doesn't know what else to do.

Spokane Police said that over the course of the last three months, they received 79 calls for various crimes including fighting, drugs, disorderly conduct, and theft. This is something the Civic Enforcement Unit wanted to address and part of the problem is the continued loitering.

Officer Maplethorpe said there are two things Momand can do. He needs to call law enforcement more often as a resource to ask loiters to leave, and to stop selling alcohol to customers who are already drunk.

Momand said it is against company policy and acknowledged state laws that the business cannot sell alcohol to people already intoxicated. He added that he will be calling law enforcement more often for help with removing people who are trespassing.

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